From left: Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Ted Zorn, Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley, former Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor College of Health Professor Barrie Macdonald, Assistant Vice-Chancellor Māori and Pasifika Dr Charlotte Severne, Pro Vice-Chancellor College of Health Professor Jane Mills, Professor Peter Lineham and Head of the School of Nursing Dr Mark Jones.
The Auckland campus has welcomed new College of Health Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane Mills and Assistant Vice-Chancellor Māori and Pasifika Dr Charlotte Severne, with a powhiri.
Professor Mills, whose most recent role was Professor of Clinical Sciences (Nursing) and the nursing discipline leader in the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne, started at Massey University mid-January.
Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Ted Zorn said Massey is incredibly fortunate to have Professor Mills and Dr Severne joining the University.
“Both have already established themselves as distinguished leaders in their fields and these transitions are an opportunity for Massey to get new perspectives, new ideas, new energy and all of these things we will get from Charlotte and Jane,” Professor Zorn said.
“My wish for the two of you is when you are on this campus you’re welcomed and your spirit is nourished by the energy, innovation and youth, and it is a place that supports the two of you to help us to be the best that we can be in health and in our work with Māori and Pasifika.”
From left: Professor Mills and senior Māori adviser Margaret Kawharu.
Professor Jane Mills
Professor Mills, who will be based in Auckland, said she was honoured and privileged to receive the powhiri.
“I would like to thank all of the leaders today who have made me feel so very welcome. I would also like to acknowledge and thank my predecessor Professor Paul McDonald who established the College of Health as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and of course Sir Mason Durie whose vision led to the establishment of the College. I hope that I will be able to do him proud, as I lead a very expert and experienced team forward,” Professor Mills said.
“My vision for the College is for us to be the leading place for public health in New Zealand. I think that it’s incredibly important that we are able to make a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and their communities in this country.”
Professor Mills qualified and worked as a nurse in Tasmania and held a variety of clinical, management and academic roles in Queensland, Victoria and United Kingdom. She has a General Nursing Certificate from the Royal Hobart Hospital, a Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Nursing from the University of Tasmania, a Graduate Certificate of Education (Tertiary Teaching) from James Cook University, a Master of Education (Distinction) from Charles Sturt University and a Doctor of Philosophy from Monash University. Her PhD thesis explored rural nurses' experiences of mentoring.
Professor Mills previously worked at Monash as a senior research fellow, at James Cook University as a senior lecturer and deputy head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition, associate professor and associate dean research in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences, professor promotional chair and deputy dean of the Graduate Research School and director of the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery.
Dr Severne is the new Assistant Vice-Chancellor Māori and Pasifika, replacing Dr Selwyn Katene.
Dr Charlotte Severne
Dr Severne is based on the Manawatū campus and joined Massey in November.
She is of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāi Tūhoe and is a geologist, former chief scientist for oceans and Māori development at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and, most recently, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori and Communities at Lincoln University.
She has a number of Tūwharetoa governance roles including chair of the Lake Rotoaira Trusts (Forest and Lake) and deputy chair of the Opepe Farm Trust. She is a ministerial appointment on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Science Board. Her Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and PhD in geology are all from the University of Auckland. She was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and science in last year's Queen's Birthday Honours.